Automatic car-brake



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. W. ROBINSON.

AUTOMATIG UAR BRAKE. No. 317,859. Patented May 12, 1885.,

I; WITNESSES JJVV'EJVTOR .06 m V Jwwa wwm (No Model.)

s. W. ROBINSON.

3 SheetsSheet 2.

AUTOMATIOYGAIR'BRAKEY No. 317,859.

Patented May 12 1885.

3 SheetsSheet 3. S. W. ROBINSON.

AUTOMATIC OAR BRAKE. No. 317,859. Patented May 12, 1885.

WITNESSES JJV'VEW'TOR .Attorney Unrrnn Starts 7 Parniwr Orrrcra.

STILLMAN W. ROBINSON, OF COLUMBUS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ROTE AUTOMATIC BRAKECOMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,859, dated May 12,1885.

Application filed February 2, ldSS. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STILLMAN W. ROBIN- soN, of Columbus, county ofFranklin, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Automatic Gar-Brakes,of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making part of this specification.

10 My invention relates to certain details of improvement in thecar-brake mechanism upon which Letters Patent were granted to O. V.Rote, March 20, 1883, No. 274,389; and it consists in a novelconstruction of the curved 1evers through which the weighted axle-leversor governor-arms act 011 the gravity-stop for relieving the brakesettingmechanism, whereby the release of said axle-levers from and theirengagement with the curved levers is facilitated; in a novelconstruction of the weighted axlelevers or governor-arms operating inconnection with the curved levers; in a novel arrangement ofgravity-stop, in connection with the cam-lever, for setting or releasingthe brake'setting mechanism, and with the curved levers for releasingsaid gravitystop, and in certain minor details of construction andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of aportion of a car platform frame and truck, with parts broken away toshow the brake-setting mechanism underneath. Fig. 2 represents avertical longi- 3 5 tudinal section through the same,showing thebrake-setting mechanism in side elevation. Fig. 3 is an end view of thebracket or hanger supporting the cam and brake levers. Fig. 4 representsa vertical section through the 0 axle, showing the curved levers andweighted axle-levers or governor-arms enlarged, as compared with Fig. 2;and Fig. 5 isa plan view of the parts shown in 4, with the curved leversin section.

A indicates the platform-frame of the car,

which may beof any usual or preferred construction, and A A parallellongitudinal tin1- bers thereof, located near the center of the width ofthe car-one on each side thereof and between which,0r between pendentguides or hounds secured thereto, is located the sliding draw-headO,p'rovided with the usual butfer-spring, and carrying on its lower facea pivoted block or dog, D. To the timber A is secured a pendent angularbracket, a, in the 5 5 horizontal portion of which the brake-lever E andthe cam lever F are pivoted in the same horizontal plane with the dog D,and adapted to operate in connection therewith in a manner similar tothe operation of the correspond 6o .ing parts of the Rote brake,referred to, the

brake-lever E being connected with and serving to operate the brakes ina similar manner.

13 represents a portion of the truclcframe, and B one of the axlesthereof, and to any suitable part of the truck-frame which maintains afixed relation to said axle is secured an angular bracket,in the outeror free end of which, overhanging said axle, the curved pendent levers KK are pivoted, with the pendent curved arms thereof embracing the axlebetween them, as shown. These levers in practice are operated upon bythe weighted levers or governor-arms on the axle in a manner similar tothat described in the Rote patent, 7 5 referred to,and maybeconnectedthrough anintermediate lever or levers with the gravity stop orpin for locking and releasing the cam-lever in a similar manner; but Iprefer the construction of said levers and the arrangement ofgravity-stop which I will now describe. Instead of making the pendentarms of the levers K and K semicircular in form, I make themapproximately crescent-shaped, whereby they are made to diverge from theaxle to- 8 5 ward their points or lower ends, and also in the partsadjacent to the pivot 73, this construction giving them therelieving-points necessary to enable them to engage as .well as torelease the governor-arms without cutting away 0 the levers at suchpoints, as in the patent referred to, thereby simplifying and reducingthe cost of their construction.

The weighted levers or governor-arms P are pivoted in suitable logs orears, a, in the di- 5 vided sleeve N, which is clamped to the axle. Theyare made in elbow or. bell-crank form, and are pivoted at the elbow inthe lugs n, as shown. The weighted arm 1?, when the car is in motion,will be thrown outward away too from theaxle, causing the other arm, 19,to hug or. rest upon the axle or sleeve N, and the arm p is expanded inwidth, and by prefer ence has its end made slightly concave, as

ernor-arms.

shown at 19 so that when the weighted arms I fall inward upon the axle,in consequence of a reduction in the speed of rotation of the latter,said curved end will engage and crowd outward away from the axle thecurved arms of the pendent levers K and K, the concave ends 19 servingto prevent lateral displacement of the levers when engaged by said gov-The weighted arms of the governor are thus made each in a single piece,and are thereby simplified and made more positive and certain in actionthan when they are made up each of several parts, one part depending forits action upon another.

The curved levers K and K, instead of having horizontal arms orheel-extensions beyond their pivots for connecting with the gravitystoplevers, as in the Rote patent, and as indicated in dotted lines in Fig.4,'are made one of them, Kto terminate at the pivotal point, while theother is provided with an upright arm, is, extended above the pivot, andconnected by a rod, 9, with a pendent latch lever or stop, I, pivoted tothe frame-timber A or other suitable support, (see Fig. 2,) the pendentcurved lever K being also connected with said latch-lever I by a rod, Bythis arrangement, when either of the curved levers K or K is vibratedoutward or away from the axle by the action of the weighted axleleversor governor-arms, the latch-lever I will also be vibrated away from theaxle and from its vertical position.

The cam-lever F, when in position to cause the pivoted dog D to act onthe brakelever E, extends obliquely across the plane of and below thetimbers A A, and its extreme end is caught and held by the pendentlatch-lever I whenever the car is being drawn at speed sufiicient tofree the pendent curved levers K and K from the action of thegovernor-arms; but when the speed of the axle is so reduced as to causethe governor-arms to act upon said curved levers K and K, or either ofthem, and thus to crowd them outward, as explained, the latch-lever Iwill also be thrust outward sufficiently to release the end of thecam-lever F, and thereby allow the pivoted dog to pass by the end of thebrake-lever without acting upon it to apply the brakes. The latch-leverI is suspended in such manner and its connection with the levers K and Kare such as to adapt it by gravity of the parts to swing down intoposition to engage and hold the camlever F when the car is being drawnforward at all times when said latch is not held upor away from saidlever by the action of the weighted axle-levers. When the car is beingbacked, the cam-lever will be thrown out of the position to be caught bythe gravity stop or latch.

A light spring, I, attached at oneend to the bracket a and at its otherend to the lever F, serves to hold the latter normally in position to beengaged by the latch-lever I, but is not of sufficient strength tointerfere with the free vibration of said cam-lever when not held Agaged by the latch-lever after the cam-lever has been vibrated away fromsuch position by the action of the dog I), said cam-lever has formedupon or secured to it a curved heelextension, f, extending outward andaround within the path of the dog D,when the latter is drawn outwardwith the draw-bar O, in such manner that the dog acting on said heelextension or arm f serves to retract the camlever and to bring it intoposition to be caught by the latch-lever.

Having now described myinvention, I claim as new 1. The combination,with the weighted levers or governor-arms controlling the brakeactuatingmechanism, of the curved levers partially surrounding the axle and madesubstantially in crescent form, whereby they are adapted to be engagedby and to release the governor-arms without the aid of relieving pointsor notches in the levers, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the pendent curved levers embracing the axlebetween them, of the weighted axle-levers, made each in a single pieceand arranged to operate on said curved levers, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination, with the curved levers partially surrounding theaxle,and the Weighted governor arms thereon, of the pivoted gravity stopor latch and the rods or links directly connecting said levers andlatch, sub stantially as described.

4. The weighted axle-levers or governor arms made each in a single piecein elbow or bell-crank form, and provided with the concave end-forengaging the curved pendent levers, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in an automatic brake mechanism, of the weightedaxle-levers or governor-arms,'the pendent curved levers embracing theaxle, the pendent pivoted latchlever connected to said curved levers,and

the cam-lever for setting or releasing the pivoted dog on the slidingdraw-bar, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the sliding drawbar, of the pendent bracket orhanger a, the pivoted dog D, the brake-lever E, cam-lever F, and springZ for holding the cam-lever normally in position to be engaged by thegravity stop or latch, substantially as described.

7. The cam-lever F, provided with the curved heel-extensionf, incombination with the spring Z, arranged and operating substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day ofJanuary, A. D. 1885.

STILLMAN W. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

BEN HURXTHAL, J r., ROBERT M. HARATER.

